China says it's not trying to replace US, won't be bullied

China isn't seeking to confront or replace United States as world's top techlogical power, but will fight back against “malicious slander" and attacks from Washington, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday, responding to a litany of recent accusations from Trump ministration.

Hua Chunying said China's chief concern was improving livelihoods of its citizens and maintaining global peace and stability, despite what critics say is an increasingly aggressive foreign policy that looks to expand Chinese influence in military, techlogy, ecomic and or spheres.

“As an independent sovereign state, China has right to safeguard its own sovereignty, security and development interests, to defend achievements me by Chinese people with hard work, to refuse any bullying and injustice against China, and to fight back against malicious slander and attacks by U.S. against China," Hua told reporters at a daily briefing.

Her comments came in response to a speech Thursday by Attorney General William Barr in which he cautioned American business leers against promoting policies favorable to Beijing. He asserted that China at beginning of coronavirus pandemic h t only dominated market on protective gear, exposing American dependence on Beijing, but h also hoarded supplies and blocked producers from exporting m to countries in need.

Barr also accused hackers linked to Chinese government of targeting American universities and businesses to steal research related to coronavirus vaccine development, leveling allegation against Beijing hours after Western ncies me similar claims against Russia.

“ People’s Republic of China is w engd in an ecomic blitzkrieg — an aggressive, orchestrated, whole-of-government (indeed, whole-of-society) campaign to seize commanding heights of global ecomy and to surpass United States as world’s preeminent techlogical superpower,” Barr said.

Numerous Trump allies have issued strongly worded messs over China in recent days, coming at a time when bilateral relations have fallen to ir lowest point in deces over issues from accusations of techlogy ft to China's claims in South China Sea.

Hua dismissed Barr's accusations of cyberft related to vaccine development as “absurd."

“Because everyone kws that China is in a leing position in research and development of new coronavirus vaccines, we have first-class scientific research personnel, and we do t need to gain a leing position with ft," Hua said.

Chinese companies have moved swiftly to develop a coronavirus vaccine, as countries compete for prestige and profits that would come with being first to bring such a product to market.